Protective covering for athletic shoes

ABSTRACT

A two-piece covering for athletic shoes having spikes, cleats or other protrusions extending from the soles of the shoes. The covering comprises a toe member that wraps around a front part of a shoe, and a heel member that is positioned around a back part of the shoe. The toe member comprises two flaps that open up to accept the toe of the athletic shoe and a front bottom member attached to the flaps that prevents the cleats or spikes on the front of the shoe from contacting the ground. The heel member comprises a cup portion that fits around the heel of the shoe and a back bottom member attached to the cup portion that prevents cleats or spikes on the back of the shoe from contacting the ground.

This application claims the benefit of provisional application60/491,230, filed Jul. 31, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to protective coverings for shoes havingspikes, cleats, taps or other protrusions extending outward from thebottom of the shoe, and more particularly to a covering comprised of afront part that wraps around the front of the shoe and keeps protrusionson the front of the shoe from touching the ground, and a back part thatfits over the heel of the shoe for keeping heel protrusions off theground.

2. Background Information

In many athletic activities, participants wear special shoes that havespikes, cleats, taps or other protrusions extending outward from thebottom of the shoe. Examples of such activities include track and field,soccer, American football, baseball, golf, tap dancing and many othersports.

Generally, the protrusions (especially, spikes, cleats and taps) aremade from a metal, but they can also be made of hard plastic or rubber,or of other materials. Regardless of the composition of the protrusions,several problems are presented by such shoes. One problem is that theprotrusions wear down quickly when a person wearing the shoes walks on ahard surface such as asphalt, concrete, dirt, metal or wood. Oftentimes,athletes will walk on the sides of their feet, on their heels or even inbare feet in an effort prevent the spikes, cleats or taps fromcontacting the hard surface and suffering wear and tear.

Another problem, and one that is sometimes exacerbated by the firstproblem, is that it can be difficult to walk safely on hard surfaceswhen one is wearing shoes having spikes or other protrusions. Theprotrusions can cause the wearer to slip or they can catch on a surfaceand trip the wearer. Still another problem is that a floor or otherwalking surface can be damaged by the protrusions.

In view of these problems, there are many examples of protective shoecoverings in the prior art that attempt to reduce these problems invarious ways. One approach is to provide a protective sole that coversthe protrusions extending from the athletic shoe. For example, U.S. Pat.No. 5,722,189 discloses a hard sole that covers the cleats on golfshoes. A problem with this type of athletic shoe covering is that acustom designed sole is required for each style of shoe, size of shoe orcleat pattern on the shoe. Another approach is to provide a slip-oncover that slides over part or all of the athletic shoe. For example,U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0035026 discloses apocket-like covering for spiked track shoes that slips over the front ofthe shoe. Coverings of this type are hard to put on because they cancatch on the spikes or other protrusions.

What is needed is a protective covering for athletic shoes that reducesthe problems associated with shoes having protrusions from the sole andthat will fit many styles and sizes of athletic shoes while being quickand easy to put on.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention is a covering for shoes having spikes,cleats, taps or other protrusions extending from the soles of the shoes.The covering comprises a toe member and a heel member. The toe member isadapted for wrapping around the front part of the shoe having a solefrom which one or more of the protrusions extend, and comprises a rightflap, a right strap, a left flap, a left strap and a first bottommember. The right flap comprises a piece of material that wraps aroundat least a part of the right front side of the shoe and the right strapcomprising an elongated piece of material that extends from the rightflap. Similarly, the left flap comprises a piece of material that wrapsaround at least a part of the left front side of the shoe and the leftstrap comprises an elongated piece of material that extends from theleft flap. The right flap and the left flap attach to each other with afirst fastener to secure the toe member around the shoe. The firstbottom member covers at least a part of the sole and prevents at leastsome of the protrusions from contacting a walking surface when the toemember is wrapped around the shoe.

The heel member is adapted for positioning around the back part of theshoe and comprises a cup portion and a second bottom member. The cupportion comprises a piece of material that fits around the back part ofthe shoe and the second bottom member covers at least a part of the soleand can prevent some protrusions from contacting the ground. A secondfastener is used to attach the right strap of the toe member to the heelmember and a third fastener is used to attach the left strap of the toemember to the heel member to help in securing the heel member to theshoe. The heel member is a separate piece from the toe member when theright and left straps are not attached to the heel member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the shoe covering according tothe present invention, shown in relation to a shoe which is not part ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the shoe covering according to thepresent invention, positioned on a shoe which is not part of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the heel member of the shoe coveringaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toe member of the shoe coveringaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a protective covering for a shoe 10 comprised of atoe member 14 and a heel member 18. The shoe 10 has a plurality ofprotrusions 20, such as spikes, cleats or taps, extending downward fromthe sole 21 of the shoe 10. The shoe 10, which is not part of thepresent invention, also includes a toe section 22, a heel section 23 andan opening 57. The sole 21 extends along the length of the shoe 10underneath the toe section 22 and the heel section 23. In FIG. 1, aprotective covering for a left shoe is illustrated, but the protectivecovering for a right shoe is analogous to the left shoe covering, and isbasically its mirror image.

The toe member 14 comprises a right flap 24, a right strap 26, a leftflap 28, a left strap 30 and a front bottom member 32. The left flap 28wraps around the left front side of the shoe 10 and the right flap 24wraps around the right front side of the shoe 10 and over part of theleft flap 28 (as shown in FIG. 2). The front bottom member 32 covers atleast part of the sole 21 at the front of the shoe 10. The front bottommember 32 covers less than one hundred percent of the sole 21 becausethe member 32 doesn't extend backward underneath the heel section 23.The front bottom member 32 covers the protrusions 20 that extend fromthe sole of the shoe 10 underneath the toe section 22. After the toemember 14 is properly positioned around the shoe 10, the right flap 24and the left flap 28 are fastened together with a fastener. In thepreferred embodiment, the fastener comprises a hook and loop fastenersuch as Velcro® brand hook and loop fastener. However, other fasteners,including snaps, buttons, zippers or laces, can also be used to securethe flaps 24 and 28 together.

In FIG. 1, a patch of hook fasteners 36 is positioned along an edge ofthe right flap 24 and a patch of loop fasteners 38 is positioned alongan edge of the left flap 28. When the right flap 24 is positioned overthe left flap 28, the hook fasteners 36 engage the loop fasteners 38,thereby securing the right flap to the left flap. The right strap 26 hasa patch of loop fasteners 40 positioned at its end, and the left strap30 has a patch of loop fasteners 42 positioned at its end.

The heel member 18 comprises a cup portion 46 and a back bottom member48. The cup portion 46 comprises a piece of material that fits aroundthe heel 23 of the shoe 10. The back bottom member 48 is attached to thecup portion and covers at least part of the sole 21 at the back of theshoe 10. The back bottom member 48 covers less than one hundred percentof the sole 21 because the member 48 doesn't extend forward underneaththe toe section 22. The back bottom member 48 covers the protrusions 20that extend from the sole of the shoe 10 underneath the heel section 23,if there are any such protrusions. One or more fasteners are positionedon the cup portion 46 to provide a means for attaching the left strap 30and the right strap 26 to the heel member 18. In the preferredembodiment, most of the outside surface of the cup portion 46 is coveredwith hook fasteners 50, such as Velcro® brand hook fasteners. However,other fasteners, including snaps, buttons, zippers or laces, can also beused to secure the straps 26 and 30 to the heel member 18. An anklestrap 54 extends from the right side of the cup portion 46. One or morefasteners are positioned on the ankle strap 54 to provide a means forattaching the ankle strap 54 to the heel member 18. In the preferredembodiment, the ankle strap 54 has a patch of loop fasteners 56, such asVelcro® brand loop fasteners, positioned at its end for attachment tothe hook fasteners 50, but other types of fasteners can be used.

FIG. 2 illustrates the protective covering positioned around the shoe10. In the preferred embodiment, the toe member 14 is wrapped completelyaround the front part of the shoe 10, forward of the opening 57 in theshoe 10 where the ankle of a person wearing the shoe 10 would extend outof the shoe. The left flap 28 is wrapped snuggly over the top of theshoe 10 with the right flap 26 wrapped over the top of the left flap 28and securely fastened to the left flap 28 by the fasteners 36 and 38. Afront protective sole 60 is attached to the outside of the toe member14, adjacent to the bottom member 32. A pair of cuts 61 are made in theleft flap 28.

The heel member 18 is positioned snuggly around the back section 23 ofthe shoe 10, behind the opening 57. The left strap 30 is attached to thecup portion 46 by the fasteners 42 and 50. Similarly, the right strap 26is attached to the cup portion 46 by the fasteners 40 and 50, but thiscan't be seen in FIG. 2. The ankle strap 54 is shown in an unattachedorientation, but in use, it would be pulled over the ankle of a personwearing the shoe 10 and attached to the cup portion 46 using thefasteners 56 and 50.

In alternative embodiments, the ankle strap 54 can be eliminated and theheel member 18 is held in place using only the straps 26 and 30 and/orthe tight fit of the heel member 18 around the shoe 10. A rearprotective sole 62 is attached to the outside of the heel member 18,adjacent to the bottom member 48. On the left strap 30, a stitch pattern63 is visible on the outside of the strap 30 showing the stitches thathold the patch of loop fasteners 42 in place. Also, FIG. 2 illustratesthat the toe member 14 and the heel member 18 do not cover one hundredpercent of the sole 21 (shown in FIG. 1) of the shoe 10, because thereis a gap between the front protective sole 60 and the rear protectivesole 62 when the members 14 and 18 are positioned around the shoe 10.

FIG. 3 illustrates the heel member 18 in more detail. In the preferredembodiment the cup portion 46 comprises a single piece of materialhaving a cup shape that fits around the heel of the shoe 10. Twosections of the cup portion 46, a right section 66 and a left section 68extend underneath the back bottom member 48 and meet at an intersection70. The intersection 70 is a cut in the material that extends backapproximately to a curve 72 in the cup portion 46. An additional seriesof cuts (not shown) are made in the right section 66 and the leftsection 68 in a radial pattern. The cuts (approximately six to eightcuts) are approximately one inch in length and extend from the curve 72inward towards the intersection 70 in a semicircle pattern. The cutshelp the material to be shaped into the cup-shape of the cup portion 46by removing small amounts of material from between the cuts.

In the preferred embodiment, the cup portion 46 comprises a strongflexible material that can be stretched without losing its originalshape, such as neoprene. Preferably, the cup portion 46 comprisesapproximately three millimeter thick neoprene and the back bottom member48 comprises approximately seven millimeter thick neoprene. The neoprenehas a nylon covering on both sides. After the radial cuts are made(during die cutting) in the right section 66 and the left section 68, anadhesive that will form neoprene to neoprene bonds, such as a contactcement like Weldwood™ brand contact cement, is applied to the radialcuts so that the neoprene that was separated by the cuts is rejoined,and the material is folded into the cup shape. Similarly, the adhesiveis used to join the right section 66 and the left section 68 along theintersection 70.

In the preferred embodiment, the rear protective sole 62 comprisesapproximately two to three millimeter thick thermoplastic rubber, suchas Dynaflex® brand thermoplastic rubber. The rear protective sole 62 isattached to the outside of the cup portion 46 using an adhesive, such asLoctite® 401 brand ethyl cyanoacrylate adhesive. A primer, such asLoctite® 770 brand primer is applied to the protective sole 62 first tofacilitate formation of the thermoplastic rubber to nylon bond, and isallowed to dry. Then the adhesive is applied on top of the dried primerand the rear protective sole 62 is immediately pressed against thebottom of the right section 66 and the left section 68, therebyattaching the rear protective sole 62 to the heel member 18.

The back bottom member 48 is attached to the cup portion 62 above theright section 66 and the left section 68, using an adhesive that formsnylon to nylon bonds (because the neoprene is covered with nylon), suchas 3M Scotch-Grip Plastic Adhesive 1099™. The specific thickness andcomposition of the back bottom member depends on the type and size ofthe protrusions 20.

Earlier in the assembly process, usually after die cutting the cuts inthe neoprene but before shaping the cup portion 62, the patch of thehook fasteners 50 is sewn onto the outside of the cup portion 62, so asto cover approximately all of the outside surface area of the cupportion 62, except for the strap 54, the right section 66 and the leftsection 68. The patch of the loop fasteners 56 are sewn onto an insidesurface of the ankle strap 54.

FIG. 4 illustrates the toe member 14 in more detail. In the preferredembodiment the right flap 24 and the right strap 26 comprise a singlepiece of material. Similarly, the left flap 28 and the left strap 30comprise a single piece of material. During manufacturing, the flaps 24and 28 are joined together to form a single piece of material that canbe wrapped around the front part of the shoe 10. A V-shaped space 74exists between right flap 24 and the left flap 28. A right portion 76 ofthe flap 24 is positioned underneath the front bottom member 32, and aleft portion 78 of the flap 28 is positioned underneath the front bottommember 32. The right portion 76 and the left portion 78 meet at anintersection 80.

The intersection 80 is the interface where the right portion 76 and theleft portion 78 are joined. The intersection 80 extends all the way upto the space 74 so that the right portion 76 is separated from the leftportion 78 all the way up to the space 74. Additional cuts are made inthe right portion 76 and in the left portion 78 to facilitate shapingthe toe member 14 into a shape that conforms to the shoe 10, by removingsmall amounts of material from between the cuts. Preferably,approximately five cuts are made in the left portion 78 at forty-five toninety degree angles to the intersection 80, and similar cuts are madein the right portion 76. The cuts can extend into the left flap 28 as isindicated by the cuts 61 shown in FIG. 2 to help the left flap 28 curvearound the shoe 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the right flap 24, the left flap 28 and thestraps 26 and 30 are comprised of a strong flexible material that can bestretched, such as neoprene. Preferably, the neoprene is approximatelythree millimeters thick. The front bottom member 32 comprisesapproximately seven millimeter thick neoprene, and all of the neopreneused in the toe member 14 has a fabric, such as nylon, covering both theinside and outside surfaces of the neoprene. After the cuts are made inthe right portion 76 and the left portion 78, an adhesive that will formneoprene to neoprene bonds, such as a contact cement like Weldwood™brand contact cement, is applied to the cuts so that the neoprene thatwas separated by the cuts is rejoined. Similarly, the adhesive is usedto join the right portion 76 and the left portion 78 along theintersection 80.

In the preferred embodiment, the front protective sole 60 comprisesapproximately two to three millimeter thick thermoplastic rubber, suchas Dynaflex® brand thermoplastic rubber. The front protective sole 60 isattached to the outside of the toe member 14 using an adhesive such asLoctite® 401 brand ethyl cyanoacrylate adhesive, and a primer, such asLoctite® 770 brand primer, as was described previously with respect tothe rear protective sole 62. After the adhesive have been applied to thefront protective sole 60, it is quickly pressed against the rightportion 76 and the left portion 78 simultaneously, thereby attaching thefront protective sole 60 to the toe member 14.

The front bottom member 32 is attached above the right portion 76 andthe left portion 78, using an adhesive such as 3M Scotch-Grip PlasticAdhesive 1099™. The specific thickness and composition of the frontbottom member 32 depends on the type and size of the protrusions 20.

Earlier in the assembly process, usually after the cuts are made in theneoprene to shape the toe member 14, the patch of hook fasteners 36 issewn onto the inside of the right flap 24, and the patch of the loopfasteners 38 is sewn onto the outside of the left flap 28. In FIG. 4, astitch pattern 82 is visible on the inside surface of the left flap 28showing the outline of the patch of the loop fasteners 38. Similarly,patches of the loop fasteners 40 and 42 are sewn onto inside surfaces ofthe straps 26 and 30, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 1, it is obvious that there are several ways that theprotective covering can be assembled around the shoe 10. However, arepresentative way of putting on the covering is the following: Theright and left flaps 24 and 28 of the toe member 14 are opened up as isshown in FIG. 4. Then, while the shoe 10 is being worn, the toe (frontpart) of the shoe 10 is inserted into the toe member 14 with the spikes20 being positioned over the bottom member 32 and the toe of the shoe 10being positioned between the right flap 24 and the left flap 28. Theleft flap 28 is then folded over the shoe 10, the right flap 24 isfolded over the left flap 28 and the two flaps 24 and 28 are fastenedtogether by pressing the hook fasteners 36 into the loop fasteners 38.

The heel member 18 is then positioned around the heel (back part) of theshoe 10 with the sole of the shoe 10 resting on the bottom member 48.The right strap 26 is pulled back towards the heel member 18 and theloop fasteners 40 are attached to the hook fasteners 50 on the rightside of the cup portion 46. Then the left strap 30 is pulled backtowards the heel member 18 and the loop fasteners 42 are attached to thehook fasteners 50 on the left side of the cup portion 46. Finally, theankle strap 54 is pulled over the front of the ankle and the loopfasteners 56 are attached to the hook fasteners 50. Again, the order ofattachment is not important and the shoe covering can be assembled inother sequences. Oftentimes, once the protective covering has beenpositioned over the shoe 10, it can be pulled off of the shoe 10 withoutunfastening the straps 26 and 30, and then can be repositioned on theshoe 10 at a later time, without unfastening the straps 26 and 30.

In alternative embodiments, the straps 26 and 30 are modified to producea toe member 14 that is positioned around the shoe 10 in a slightlydifferent manner. In a first alternative embodiment, the straps 26 and30 are lengthened so that they extend around the heel section 23 of theshoe 10, and the loop fasteners 40 and 42 are replaced with fastenersthat allow the strap 30 to be attached to the strap 26. For example, thepatch of loop fasteners 40 is replaced with a patch of hook fasteners,and the patch of loop fasteners 42 are moved to the other side of thestrap 30 so that the loop fasteners occupy the region outlined by thestitch pattern 63 shown in FIG. 2. After the toe member 14 has beenpositioned around the toe section 22 of the shoe 10, the straps 26 and30 are pulled around the heel section 23 and hooked together using thehook and loop fasteners on the straps 26 and 30. This embodimenteliminates the need for the heel member 18, and can be used insituations where the protrusions 20 only extend from the front part ofthe shoe 10. However, even in this situation, it is preferable to stilluse the heel member 18, so that the front and back of the shoe 10 areboth approximately an equal distance off the ground.

In a second alternative embodiment, the straps 26 and 30 are permanentlyfastened together, such as by sewing or by making the straps out of acontinuous piece of material. The straps 26 and 30 are then pulled overthe heel section 23 of the shoe 10 after the toe member 14 ispositioned, thereby eliminating the need for the heel member 18.

There are many advantages inherent in the design of the protective shoecovering of the present invention. First, the flexibility of theneoprene used in the construction of the toe member 14 means that asingle size design of the toe member 14 can fit many styles and sizes ofthe shoe 10. For example, it has been found that just three sizes of thetoe member 14 and three sizes of the heel member 18 can be used to fitall of the American shoe sizes from size three to size twelve orthirteen. This is possible, in part, because the toe member 14 and theheel member 18 are comprised of a flexible material. Hence, as usedherein, the term flexible material means a material that stretches tofit more than one shoe size.

Similarly, the ability of the right flap 24 and the left flap 28 to bepulled apart and opened up as shown in FIG. 4, allows one size of thetoe member 14 to be used with several sizes and styles of shoe and makesit easy to position the toe member 14 around the shoe 10. This isespecially important when the shoe 10 has sole protrusions, such ascleats or spikes. If the toe member 14 didn't open up, the protrusionswould catch on the covering as it was pulled over the shoe. This alsoallows a person to step into the toe member 14 without having to standon one leg while they attempt to pull a covering over the shoe.

The fact that the heel member 18 is a separate piece from the toe member14 also allows a single size of heel member to be used with severalsizes and styles of the shoe 10. It is also easy to position the heelmember 18 over the shoe 10 and use the straps 26, 30 and 54 to achieve atight fit of the toe and heel members 14 and 18 on the shoe 10.

The use of both the toe member 14 and the heel member 18 also makes iteasier for the person wearing the protective covering to walk. If forexample, a protective covering only covers the toe of the shoe 10, thena person wearing the shoe 10 is walking on an uneven sole. However, ifboth the toe member 14 and the heel member 18 are used together, then amore even sole is achieved. The use of the front protective sole 60 onthe toe member 14 and the rear protective sole 62 on the heel member 18facilitates the comfort and traction of the shoe covering.

There are many reasons for using the protective covering. First, forshoes that have the protrusions 20, such as spikes, cleats, taps,extending from the bottom of the shoe, the protective covering protectsthe protrusions 20 from wearing out prematurely. In this usage, theprotective coverings are positioned around the shoes 10 when the weareris off the track or playing field and is walking on a hard walkingsurface, like asphalt, concrete, wood or tile. Generally, it is thefront bottom member 32, and sometimes the back bottom member 48, thatprotect the protrusions 20 from premature wear. The thickness andcomposition of the front and back bottom members 32 and 48 depends onthe type and size of the protrusions 20.

For example, for track and field shoes, regulating bodies usually allowa maximum of six spikes per shoe, and these cannot exceed a quarter inchin length when running on all-weather track. Furthermore, all shoes wornby sprinters only have spikes in the toe region, not in the heel region.For such shoes, a seven millimeter thick neoprene front bottom member 32provides the primary protective cushion for the spikes to sink into, andis said to help prevent at least some of the protrusions 20 fromcontacting the walking surface. The front protective sole 60 provides adurable sole that reduces the likelihood of slipping and also providessome extra cushioning for the spikes. If there are spikes on the heel ofthe shoe 10, then the back bottom member 48 will provide cushioning forthese spikes, and is said to help prevent at least some of theprotrusions 20 from contacting the walking surface. However, even incases where there are no heel spikes, the back bottom member 48 and therear protective sole 62 are preferably used so that the heel and toe ofthe shoe 10 are resting on surfaces approximately the same height offthe ground. For other types of protrusions 20, such as football orbaseball cleats, or golf spikes, the composition and thickness of thebottom members 32 and 48 can be varied.

Another reason for using the protective covering is to cover dirtyshoes, such as muddy soccer shoes. Use of the protective covering keepsthe mud mostly inside of the protective covering, thereby protectingfloors, carpets, car interiors or other areas from getting soiled.Similarly, it is often desirable to protect walking surfaces, such asfloors, carpets, golf greens and other surfaces from damage by thespikes. Use of the protective coverings protects such surfaces.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of thepresently preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that suchdisclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting. Various alterations andmodifications will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the artafter having read the above disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended thatthe appended claims be interpreted as covering all alterations andmodifications as fall within the true scope of the invention.

1. A covering for a shoe having a sole from which one or moreprotrusions extend comprising: a right flap comprising a first piece ofmaterial that wraps around at least a part of the right front side ofthe shoe; a right strap comprising an elongated member that extends fromthe right flap and that has sufficient length to extend around a heel ofthe shoe; a left flap comprising a second piece of material that wrapsaround at least a part of the left front side of the shoe, the left flapbeing separable from the right flap to allow a front part of the shoe tobe positioned between the right flap and the left flap, the right flapand the left flap being attachable to each other with a flap fastener tosecure the covering around the front part of the shoe; a left strapcomprising an elongated member that extends from the left flap and thathas sufficient length to extend around the heel of the shoe, the leftstrap attaching to the right strap to secure the right strap and theleft strap around the heel of the shoe; and a bottom member attached tothe right flap and to the left flap, the bottom member being adapted forcovering at least a part of the sole of the shoe, but less than all ofthe sole, so that the bottom member helps prevent the protrusions fromcontacting a walking surface when the covering is wrapped around thefront part of the shoe.
 2. The covering of claim 1 wherein the firstpiece of material and the second piece of material are each comprised ofa flexible material.
 3. The covering of claim 2 wherein the flexiblematerial comprises neoprene.
 4. The covering of claim 1 wherein the flapfastener comprises a hook and loop fastener.
 5. The covering of claim 1further comprising: a front protective sole attached to the toe memberunderneath the bottom member.
 6. The covering of claim 1 furthercomprising: a right fastener attached to the right strap; and a leftfastener attached to the left strap so that the right strap can beattached to the left strap.
 7. A covering for a shoe having soleprotrusions comprising: a toe member adapted for wrapping around a frontpart of a shoe having a sole from which one or more protrusions extend,the toe member comprising: a right flap comprising a first piece ofmaterial that wraps around at least a part of a right front side of theshoe; a right strap comprising an elongated member that extends from theright flap; a left flap comprising a second piece of material that wrapsaround at least a part of a left front side of the shoe, the left flapbeing separable from the right flap to allow the front part of the shoeto be positioned between the right flap and the left flap, the rightflap and the left flap being attachable to each other with a flapfastener to secure the toe member around the front part of the shoe; aleft strap comprising an elongated member that extends from the leftflap; and a first bottom member attached to the right flap and to theleft flap, the first bottom member being adapted for covering at least apart of the sole of the shoe, but less than all of the sole, so that thefirst bottom member helps prevent at least some of the protrusions fromcontacting a walking surface when the toe member is wrapped around thefront part of the shoe; and a heel member adapted for positioning arounda back part of the shoe, the heel member comprising: a cup portioncomprising a third piece of material that fits around the back part ofthe shoe; and a second bottom member attached to the cup portion, thesecond bottom member being adapted for covering at least a part of thesole of the shoe, but less than all of the sole, the right and leftstraps of the toe member attaching to the heel member to help insecuring the heel member to the shoe, the heel member being a separatepiece from the toe member when the right and left straps are notattached to the heel member.
 8. The covering of claim 7 wherein thefirst piece of material and the second piece of material are eachcomprised of a flexible material.
 9. The covering of claim 8 wherein theflexible material comprises neoprene.
 10. The covering of claim 9wherein the neoprene has a thickness of approximately three millimeters.11. The covering of claim 7 wherein the flap fastener comprises a hookand loop fastener.
 12. The covering of claim 7 wherein the first bottommember comprises neoprene.
 13. The covering of claim 7 wherein thesecond bottom member is adapted for helping to prevent at least some ofthe protrusions from contacting the walking surface.
 14. The covering ofclaim 7 further comprising: an ankle strap extending from a first sideof the heel member and being adapted for positioning over an ankle of aperson wearing the shoe and attaching to a second side of the heelmember.
 15. The covering of claim 7 further comprising: a frontprotective sole attached to the toe member underneath the first bottommember.
 16. The covering of claim 15 wherein the front protective solecomprises a thermoplastic rubber.
 17. The covering of claim 7 furthercomprising: a rear protective sole attached to the heel memberunderneath the cup portion.
 18. A covering for a shoe having spikes orcleats comprising: a toe member adapted for wrapping around a front partof a shoe having a sole from which one or more spikes or cleatsprotrude, the toe member comprising: a right flap comprising a firstpiece of flexible material that wraps around at least a part of a rightfront side of the shoe; a right strap comprising an elongated section ofthe first piece of flexible material that extends from the right flap; aleft flap comprising a second piece of flexible material that wrapsaround at least a part of a left front side of the shoe, the left flapbeing separable from the right flap to allow the front part of the shoeto be positioned between the right flap and the left flap, the rightflap and the left flap being attachable to each other with a flapfastener to secure the toe member around the front part of the shoe; aleft strap comprising an elongated section of the second piece offlexible material that extends from the left flap; a first bottom memberattached to the right flap and to the left flap, the first bottom memberbeing adapted for covering at least a first part of the sole of theshoe, but less than all of the sole, so that the first bottom memberhelps prevent at least some of the spikes or cleats from contacting awalking surface when the toe member is wrapped around the front part ofthe shoe; and a front protective sole attached to the toe memberunderneath the first bottom member; and a heel member adapted forpositioning around a back part of the shoe, the heel member comprising:a cup portion comprising a third piece of flexible material that fitsaround a back part of the shoe; a second bottom member attached to thecup portion, the second bottom member being adapted for covering atleast a second part of the sole of the shoe, but less than all of thesole, so that the second bottom member helps prevent any spikes orcleats that protrude from a back part of the sole from contacting awalking surface when the heel member is positioned around the back ofthe shoe, the right and left straps of the toe member attaching to theheel member to help in securing the heel member to the shoe, the heelmember being a separate piece from the toe member when the right andleft straps are not attached to the heel member; and a rear protectivesole attached to the heel member underneath the second bottom member.19. The covering of claim 18 wherein the first piece of flexiblematerial and the second piece of flexible material are each comprised ofneoprene.
 20. The covering of claim 18 wherein the flap fastenercomprises a hook and loop fastener.